Bible Strands
Isaiah 44:11
Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — YHWH speaks through Isaiah to Israel, confronting the makers and defenders of idols during a direct polemic against idolatry. The oracle targets the craftsmen and their associates who gather to protect their manufactured gods.
The words — הֵן (hen) announces "behold," while יֵבֹשׁוּ (yevo.shu) declares the craftsmen will be put to shame. The phrase מֵאָדָם (me'adam) literally anchors their failure to their mere human origin.
The thread — The disgrace of idol makers appears in Isaiah 45:16 and Psalm 97:7, while Isaiah 42:17 warns those who trust in molten images. This sequence consistently links the futility of idolatry to the public humiliation of its creators.
Why it lands — The text states that human artisans cannot generate divine power, so their assembled defense collapses into terror and shame. Readers must acknowledge that relying on manufactured objects yields only disgrace, not aid.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 42:17 But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
- Isaiah 45:16 They will all be put to shame and humiliated; the makers of idols will depart together in disgrace.
- Psalms 97:7 All worshipers of images are put to shame—those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Isaiah 1:29 Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
- Judges 6:29 “Who did this?” they said to one another. And after they had investigated thoroughly, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
- Judges 16:23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
- 1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.
- 1 Samuel 6:4 “What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
- 1 Kings 18:19 Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- 1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.